Healesville resident Margaret Cole had her say on government spending in a survey conducted by teenager Michael Pierrehumbert.
By Kath Gannaway
MICHAEL Pierrehumbert is MAD about the way governments spend money.
As part of Healesville High School’s Making a Difference (MAD) program, the 15-year-old is surveying residents to see what they want their taxes spent on.
Students involved in MAD study a range of issues from education and environment to sports and recreation as well as local and global effects on people’s lives.
Michael is in the Local and Global group and is researching the economic crisis with a focus on how taxpayers’ money is spent.
“My aim is to go national, state and local to talk about what the money gets used for and come up with an idea of what would be the best solution for its best use.
“We are asking a range of questions including what people want to see fixed up,” he said.
Having lost his family home on Black Saturday, he has some personal experience with the way funds are used, or mis-used. As part of his research Michael said he will be looking at broad government spending, but also at the spending trends of politicians.
“It seems taxpayers’ money is not being used properly,” he said.
In addition to a street survey, Michael has set up a website where people can comment on the survey results and put their views on where money should be spent. “We will put the information we are gathering on the website will try to convince, first up, local government to have a look at where they are spending our money,” he said.
Anyone who would like to take part can log on to www.healesvillesays.com.
Michael can be contacted on 5962 6748.
